Detaching roll weighting mechanism for combers



Aug. 10, 1954 c. v; HINTON 2,685,710

DETACHABLE ROLL WEIGHTING MECHANISM FOR COMBERS Filed May 5, 1950 va 525" f E! 5 II I INVENTOR.

W K- W.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES DETACHIN G ROLL WEIGHTING MECHA- NISM FOR COMBERS Application May 3, 1950, Serial N 0. 159,701

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to cotton combers of the Heilmann type, and relates in particular to the method and mechanism of pressing the opposing detaching rolls together. This lat ter is conventionally accomplished by springloading the top detaching roll or rolls so as to press it Or them tightly against the bottom detaching roll.

It is mainly the efiiciency of the detaching rolls in detaching the combed tuft at each cycle of the combing machine which determines the capacity or rate of production of the comber. Failure of the detaching rolls to hold and detach all fibers of the desired length which have been combed and presented to them means both waste of good fiber and unevenness in the yarns made therefrom. Weighting means which are awkward or laborious to operate, or which get in the attendants way, are costly in loss of time and in neglect of attentions necessary for the making of good yarn; if very difficult to operate, they can preclude the use of women attendants entirely through lack of the requisite physical strength to manipulate the parts.

With th aim of eliminating these and other shortcomings of prior detaching roll weighting systems, the present invention provides a novel and improved top detaching r011 weighting mechanism which has the advantages of providing for application of the actuating force at mid-length of the detaching rolls and enabling this force to be divided equally thereafter between the two ends of the top detaching roll or rolls, thus equalizing the loading of these rolls throughout their length so that the tuft with be of equal density throughout its width. The linkage which leads the springs which in turn perform the weighting of the top rolls is so contrived as to provide a powerful toggle action, and the favorable mechanical leverage thus obtained permits the operating handle to be shortened without needing the use of increased physical force from the operator, and thus the operating handle for the top detaching roll weighting means is enabled to be located out of the way under and wholly within the width of the sliver table while being easily accessibl and operable by the attendant whether man or woman. Additional advantages of the improved structure are that the operating handle may be located equally well at any desired point throughout the width of each combing head; also, the new structure has an inherent tendency to equalize differences in the tension adjustment or inherentstrength of the separate springs respectively located at each 2 end of the set of detaching rolls of the several combing heads.

Other objects of the invention and the manner of their attainment are as set forth hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section across the sliver table alongside one of the frame supports of a combing machine, showing the novel weighting means for the top detaching rolls, and indicating fragmentarily other adjacent parts.

Fig. 2 is a part-sectional front elevation of certain parts in Fig. 1, with the sliver table removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Having reference to the drawings, only so much of a cotton combing machine of the Heilmann type is indicated as is necessary for an understanding of the application of the invention thereto. Thus, the frame uprights for one of the heads of a multi-head combing machine are indicated at i, and at 3 are shown the brackets ex-- tending forwardly from such uprights for the purpose of supporting the sliver table 5 and other parts associated with such table in handling the combed sliver, such as the calender rolls of which one is shown at I in Fig. 1. There are two top detaching rolls cooperating with a single bottom detaching roll 9, fixed on shaft H carried in bearings 12 in connection with brackets I3 bolted at E5 to frame uprights I. The rear top roll is shown at ii, and the front top roll at it, each having its journals respectively mounted in ball bearings El, 23, fixed on the journals by retaining rings (not shown) snapped onto the journal ends.

It is the aim of th invention to provide novel and improved means for pressing these two top rolls i7, i9, strongly against bottom detaching roll H so that the latter roll and the rear top roll I! will grip tightly and detach from the feed lap all the fibers which enter between them. With this object, the two top rolls are pressed toward bottom roll 9 at each end thereof by a generally triangular member 25 having semicircular notches in its lower edge which fit the outside of ball bearings 2i, 23, each member 2! having a lip depending over the outward face of each bearing to hold the top rolls against endwise digression.

Each of the two members 25 is attached by means of a pivot 27? to the short arm 29 of a lever 3| pivoted on a stud 33 fixed by means of set screws 35 in a sleeve 31 formed on the forward end of each bracket l3. The long arm of each lever 3| is bent as shown in Fig. 3, and terminates at its lower end in an eye portion 39 through which extends the threaded portion of a ring bolt 4! mounted by means of its ringed end 43 upon a tie rod 45 joining the corresponding bottom ends of a pair of arms pivoted at their upper ends on studs 33 alongside the hubs of levers 3%. An expanding coil spring ill, mounted on each ring bolt 4| over a smooth sleeve 51 thereon, reacts against the eye 39 on lever 3| to thrust its lower end forward and thus to press downward by means of its upper arm 29 and pressure member 25 on the bearings 2i and 23 of each top roll, thus bringing the upper and lower rolls together with the requisite pressure for consistent clean detaching.

To vary the pressure of the top detaching rolls against the bottom roll, nuts 53 on the threaded shank of each ring bolt 4!, which serve as a perch or abutment for each expanding spring 5!, are adjusted along the thread of ring bolt ll to increase or reduce the spring loading of lever 3i and thus intensify or reduce the pressure thereby created between the detaching rolls.

To load the top detaching rolls, and also to unweight them as is necessary for numerous purposes in operating the comber, such as to remove them for cleaning and powdering, arms '2' are pivoted freely on studs 33, and the rod 1 5 fixed in the lower ends of arms 5?, and forming therewith a sort of swinging frame, is connected by a link 55 with a handle 5? pivoted on a rod 553 anchored in hubs (3i which are each fixed by means of its flange 63 and screw 2.5 on the proximate vertical surfaces of brackets 3. The rear end of link 55 terminates in an eye 61 surrounding rod and the front end of this link is pivotally attached to a lug 59 by means of an eye '53 on the link and bolt it which passes therethrough and through a hole in lug 89. The link is bent as shown '55, so that the axis of pivot bolt '53 rises above the axis of rod 59 when handle Si is raised to the position. shown. in Figs. 1 and 3 and the bent portion '15 or" the link engages the under side of rod 58. This creates a toggle joint in which the line of pull of link 55 as defined by the axis of its pivot in bolt '53 and the effective axis of rod 25 passes above the center of rod 55, releasably locking the handle in the position shown.

When the handle t l is thus positioned, the corresponding forward movement of rod t5 compelled by link 55 carries forward (to the left in Fig. 3) the two ring bolts ii, and the springs ts push forward the lower ends of levers 3!, I- tating such levers clockwise in Fig. 3 and applying pressure to the bearings of top rolls ll, i forcing the latter against bottom roll 9, springs i9 yielding to permit the handle '1 to complete its stroke and to come to rest in its locking position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The force is applied by link 55 to rod 15 at midlength of the latter, thus equalizing the force applied to each spring is and hence to the ends of the rolls.

As already noted, to adjust the pressure of the top detaching rolls against the bottom detaching roll, nuts are shifted along ring bolts iii to increase or reduce the compression they apply to springs 49, and are then looked in this adjusted position. As is obvious, the more compresslon applied to springs 49 by their nuts the more heavily the top detaching rolls are pressed against the bottom detaching roll, and this adjustment by nuts 53 is employed to equal-- ice the pressure applied to both ends of the detaching rolls and to vary the weighting as required for different kinds and staples of cotton and weights of supply lap and for other reasons.

To unweight the top detaching rolls for removal, handle 51 is simply depressed until the toggle joint snaps past centers under the recoil of springs 43; if this is not suincient to lift pressure members 25 as far as desired above top roll bearings 2%, 23, further counterclockwise movement (Fig. 3) of handle 51 brings stop nut 1! against the front face of eye 39 on each lever 3!, thus swinging these levers further counterclockwis and raising members 25 higher. Ordinarily the partial movement of handle 57 induced by pushing it downward past centers is preferred, since then pressure members 25 hold the top rolls in place against dropping, but in such manner as to be easily lifted out by hand.

The connection of link 55 to rod 55 at midlength thereof tends to equalize the pressure of the two ends of each top detaching roll toward the bottom roll 9 by reason of the inherent elasicity and flexing of rod 45 and arms ll. Thus, if one end of a top detaching roll is lifted and thus tends to exert more pressure than the other end of such roll, there will be a tendency for the various connecting parts to automatically increase the weight applied to the opposite end of such roll. Where this compensating action is not desired, two links 55 are employed, each pivoted on a stud projecting inwardly from the lower end of each arm 41, the studs thus replacing rod 45, hub iii of handle 5? is keyed to shaft 59 at any desired point in the latters length, and the front ends of the two links 55 are pivoted to cranks fixed on shaft 59 adjacent the latters ends. Movement of handle 51 then rotates the shaft 59 which simultaneously operates the two toggle links 55 through the small cranks on shaft 59 connected to their front ends. This arrangement delivers the same throw to ring bolts 4! at each lever 3i, making the pres sure applied by each lever iii correspond solely to the loading effected by its proper spring 9 with the elimination of any substantial modifying effect by the loading of the other spring 49.

The clearer board iii rests on the top detaching rolls and is held in place by arms 83 pivotally connected to the board and each swinging on a stud 33.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the inven tion as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but what 1' do claim is:

l. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination paired levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, a spring to urge each lever in the pressure-applying direction, a member in connection with the springs moving in one direction to load the springs and in reverse direction to unload them, a link actuating this member, and a manually operable lever shifting the link in both directions to move the said member from and to spring-loading position and locking the link and member in the latter position.

2. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination paired levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, a spring engaging the end of each lever to urge each lever in the pressure-applying direction, a member applying a loading force to the springs, means supporting such member for movement toward the point of application of the spring pressure to the levers in loading the springs, a link moving such member, and a manually operable lever moving the link and locking it in spring-loading position.

3. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination paired levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, springs biasing the levers, a swinging frame, abutments for the springs on such swinging frame, and manually operable means swinging the frame into springloading position and releasably locking the frame in such position.

4. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination paired levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, springs biasing the levers, a swinging frame, abutments for the springs on such swinging frame, a hand operated lever, and a link actuated by the latter swinging the frame into spring-loading position.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in which a pivot joins the link to the hand operated lever, and such pivot passes beyond dead centers with respect to the fulcrum of the latter lever to hold such lever in spring-loading position.

6. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination levers applying pressure to the two ends of a detaching roll, spring means for loading the levers, means equalizing the pressure delivered to the respective ends of the roll, and manually operable toggle means stressing the springs.

7. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, a pair of pivotally mounted arms, a member joining the free ends of the two arms, a spring acting on an end of each lever to make the latter apply pressure to the detaching roll, abutment means for each spring located on the member adjacent each arm, and a hand operated lever operatively connected to such member at midlength of the latter to position this member and the abutment means thereon in spring-loading relation.

8. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination levers applying pressure to the two ends of a detaching roll, spring means for loading the levers, a bar connected to the spring means adjacent each of the bars ends to load the spring means, and manually operable means applying a displacing force to the bar at midlength of the latter to position the bar in spring-loading relation.

9. Detaching roll weighting means having in combination levers each applying pressure to one end of a detaching roll, a movable member extending across the interval from one lever to the other, abutments in connection with such member adjacent each end of the member, springs supported by such abutments and acting on the ends of the levers to actuate the latter to apply their press to the detaching roll, a link connected to the member at substantially midlength of such member to shift the latter into spring-loading position, and a hand-actuated lever positioning the link.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which the abutments are shiftable toward and from the member to adjust the degree of pressure applied to the ends of the detaching roll.

11. The combination of claim 9 in which the abutments are shiftable to different distances from the member to equalize the spring pressure on the respective levers.

12. Detaching roll weighting means comprising the combination with a bottom detaching roll and two top detaching rolls, of saddles respectively pressing the opposite ends of the top rolls toward the bottom roll, levers each pressing one of the saddles toward the top rolls, a pivoted arm associated with each lever, a link carried by each arm and connected to one lever to limit the degree of separation permitted between the ends of the arm and lever, a spring on each link urging such ends apart, and manually operable means moving the arm simultaneously in one direction to load the springs and thus to press the top rolls against the bottom roll and alternatively in the opposite direction to lift the saddles from the top rolls.

13. Detaching roll weighting means for combing machines comprising the combination with the top and bottom rolls and the sliver-table support of such machine, of a pivoted lever for weighting the top rolls, a spring engaging the end of such lever, a control handle borne by the said sliver-table supports, a toggle link pivoted to such handle loading and unloading the spring, and passing beyond dead centers to lock the handle and other parts of the weighting means in pressure-applying position.

14. Detaching roll weighting mean for combing machines comprising the combination with the top and bottom rolls and the sliver-table of such machine, of saddles respectively pressing the opposite ends of the top rolls toward the bottom roll, levers extending down below the level of the sliver table pressing the saddles toward the top rolls, springs biasing the levers, a link loading and unloading the springs, and an operating handle mounted below the sliver table for actuating the link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 493,912 Dixon Mar. 21, 1893 1,495,627 Zierer May 27, 1924 2,307,670 Cunningham Jan. 5, 1943 2,458,852 Helland Jan. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 499,086 Great Britain Jan. 18, 1939 

